Five ways how to protect your oil tank against theft this winter

Five ways how to protect your oil tank against theft this winter

With the temperatures set to drop this month, heating oil tanks will start to become a more
attractive target for thieves.

With customers purchasing oil in bulk and tanks often left in unsecured garden locations, customers could be leaving themselves especially vulnerable to theft as the weather gets colder.

With that in mind, Oil 4 Wales’s expert engineer Ricky Hall recommends five quick tips on how to protect heating oil from theft this winter.

The correct heating oil tank

Choosing the right tank is likely to act as a deterrent to most thieves, according to Ricky. Stolen oil is usually removed through pumping, siphoning or decanting from tanks into other containers and then sold on. However, our quality bunded plastic and steel tanks are not only a more effective method of storing oil, but are also much harder to break into. They are also far more difficult in terms of being stolen from the premises.

Lubricate your locks

Tanks are increasingly at risk from fuel theft during the colder months, and as such all locks should be in good working order.

Tank locks are more likely to become stiff and ineffective as the weather gets colfer, therefor lubricating the locks thoroughly ensures they are in good working order and able to prevent any potential thefts.

Out of sight

Placing your oil tank in a less exposed location is one obvious, but effective way, of preventing theft.

Ricky recommends storing the oil tank away from roads and external gates, which could help to prevent any opportunistic thefts.

Locking devices

Securing your premises by locking any access points is a sensible start, but you can increase the safety of your oil tank by securing a lock to the tank itself. Tank security ranges in its effectiveness, with a variety of options available to cautious owners. Precautions include purchasing audible tank alarms to installing a security cage. High-quality padlocks are also another simple, yet efficient, investment in securing your tank against theft.

Security lighting

If your tank is visible from the outside of your home, another safety feature to consider is security lighting. Motion-sensing security lights can be particularly cost-effective when it comes to deterring potential thieves, while also alerting homeowners to an unwanted visitor.